Veteran Duane Brown Reportedly Returning to Jets for 2023 Season
Offensive tackle Duane Brown appears to be in the plans for the New York Jets in 2023.
According to a report by ESPN’s Rich Cimini on Sunday, Brown’s agent Kennard McGuire has stated his client’s intention to play for the team that signed him to a two-year contract last preseason.
After a preseason injury kept Brown on the sideline for the Jets’ first four regular season games in 2022, the soon-to-be 38-year old tackle made 12 straight starts while playing through pain.
During his Combine Week media availability, Jets head coach Robert Saleh praised Brown for the resiliency he displayed last fall.
“Duane is a freaking rock star, man, the way he fought through pain and injury. ... So a lot of respect for him, love his grind, love his grit, love what he stands for, and if he's here, it'd be awesome,” said Saleh.
Brown, who was born on August 30, 1985, will turn 38 years old prior to the start of the 2023 NFL regular season.
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He originally entered the league in 2008 as a first-round pick of the Houston Texans out of Virginia Tech.
Brown played all 17 games in 2021 with the Seattle Seahawks prior to signing with the Jets when franchise tackle Mekhi Becton suffered a season-ending injury last August.
While his longevity is impressive, it comes with a reasonable question. Will Brown be able to hold up physically over the course of his 17th NFL season?
Brown’s toughness and commitment are unquestionable, but, at best, he offers short-term stability at one of the offensive tackle positions.
If the right prospect is there when the Jets make the No. 13 overall selection at the 2023 NFL Draft, general manager Joe Douglas should not hesitate to add an offensive lineman.
Even with Brown in the fold, the Jets have a number of questions across the front five.
One has to think it could take a while for Becton to regain his prior form after playing in only one NFL game in the past two years.
Meanwhile, on the interior, center Connor McGovern, who started all 17 games in 2022, is set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 15.
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